As is the norm every year, Apple announced their latest series of iPhones in typical Apple fashion. Held in the Steve Job’s theater, the company put selected guests, members of the media and for the first time, audiences at home through the works, introducing a slew of new services and product updates, including the long anticipated iPhone 11 series of smartphones. Here are 5 key takeaways that we got from the event:
Apple Arcade doesn’t quite hit the spot
Apple Arcade may not be the gaming service for hardcore gamers but it will certainly resonate well with casual gamers as well as kids. With partnerships with legendary game houses such as Konami and Capcom, the platform has a lot of promise. The exclusive games on the platform however, don’t look like enough for people to want to shell out $4.99 a month on. I mean, Frogger looks fun and all but it just feels like too much of a game you can already get on the app store. At least there’s a month long trial period for you to try out the service, I guess.
Apple TV Plus Looks good, especially with that year long free subscription
Apple are putting their hand in the video streaming jar and while there have been some setbacks, the streaming service looks good. Why? First off, it is priced at only $4.99 a month for a family subscription. That’s cheaper than Netflix!! And then of course, there’s the content. The shows teased by the Cupertino tech giants look good and with more shows set to be added every month, it can only get better. The cherry on the cake? Apple is giving away a one year subscription to the streaming service with every purchase of an Apple product. The streaming service race just got a lot hotter!
The iPad is stacked and it’s going after laptops
Apple revealed the specs on its latest entry-level tablet and boy does it look good. The 7th generation of the iPad will come with a 10.2-inch Retina display, an A10 Fusion Chip, smart connector for a full sized keyboard as well as long overdue new multitasking features. And that’s not taking iPadOS into account. The multi-tasking capabilities and productivity potential that the new iPadOS provides is a huge game changer. Finally, an iPad that can actually handle your workflow.
Apple relies on camera(s) to carry iPhone 11 series
Apple announced the iPhone 11 series last during their keynote yesterday and understandably so; the device is the arguably the most hyped smartphone every year. While the iPhone once used to push the envelope of smartphone technology, it seems that those days are over, for one more year at least. The iPhone 11 may come in a fresh palette of colors, with longer battery life and the A13 processor, but there’s really nothing much else to shout about. No, reverse wireless charging capability, no 5G, no USB C, nada. Instead, the company is relying heavily on the device’s cameras, or rather it’s camera software, to sell the phone. It’ll be interesting to see how the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro sells.
2020 is going to be a big year for Apple
Which leads us to Apple’s 2020 line up. With so many notable features missing in this year’s iPhone 11 series, 2020 is set to be a big year for the tech giants. With the 2020 iPhones almost certain to get 5G, reverse wireless charging, fast charging and a ToF camera, 2019 tech will finally come to the iPhone series,albeit in 2020. But that’s really not all that surprising; Apple is notorious for taking a whole year to optimize tech. With the iPhone 11 series looking rather similar to its predecessors, the next iPhone is also rumoured to abandon the much maligned notch and thick bezels to give the phone a more modern look. Now that’s something to be excited about.
